When A Wizard And Rockstar Fall In Love
by x3OJDx3
Summary: The Russo kids are competing for their powers, but when Alex has a chance of winning, will she give everything up for the sake of her heart? Or will she finally be able to beat her over-accomplishing older brother? Nalex Co-written with xxHeadInTheStarsxx
1. Chapter 1

**Everyone! This story is going to be co-written between me and ****xxHeadInTheStarsxx****, and I'm very pleased to say she has written this first chapter. Tell us what you think!!! **

"Well kids, you know what time it is!" Jerry said, handing out pieces of papers to Justin, Alex, and Max Russo. Justin smiled excitedly, Max sat there, feeling clueless as usual, while Alex just stared at her cell phone screen, bored to death. "It's almost time for the Wizard Competition where you get to battle each other then at the end, one of the three of you will get to keep their powers."

"Which will be me." Justin said cockily. Alex rolled her eyes while Max just kept on sitting there, staring into space. "You could just save your time now and drop out of the competition." Justin said to Alex, smirking at her. Alex glared at her brother, shaking her head.

"Hey, at least the chances of me winning are way higher than the chances of you getting another girlfriend. So I could win too, which I probably will." Alex said, smiling. Justin squinted his eyes at her, annoyed again. Alex smirked then looked at the piece of paper in front of her. "What's this?" she asked. She looked at it, reading. "_Here are the rules for the_…okay, I'm bored." she tossed the paper aside then flipped her cell phone on and continued to text her friends.

"Alex, Max, you guys have to pay attention if you want to win. At this rate, Justin's right, he'll probably be the one to win unless you two take this very seriously." Jerry said sternly. Max sighed, finally listening while Alex glared at Justin as he stared back at her conceitedly. "Now, Justin, could you please read the rules of the competition aloud?" Jerry asked, nudging the paper towards his eldest son.

"_Here are the rules for the Wizard Competition. Rule one: you may not cheat. If you are caught cheating, even slightly, you are immediately banned from the competition and your powers will be taken away from you for good. Rule two: the battle cannot get physical. If you hurt your opponent intentionally, you are banned from the competition and your powers will be taken away from you as well. Rule three: you _cannot_ fall in love with a mortal. Once the wizard authorities find out that you've fallen for a mortal human, your consequences will be exactly like rules one and two._"

"Well that was boring…and pretty harsh if you think about it." Max said. "I mean, no hurting anyone? It's not a battle unless someone gets hurt. Duh." Max continued, saying it like it was the most stupidest and obvious thing it the world. "And what's with the 'no falling in love with mortal' thing? It sounds stupid."

"Well it's the rules, unless you want to be kicked out of the battle and have your powers stripped away from you, you don't have to follow them if you don't want to." Justin said, handing the piece of paper back to Jerry. "Though this might be hard for Alex. No cheating? No falling in love with mortals? Hmm, she might as well get kicked out right now." he smirked at her. Alex pushed him off of his seat, sending him down onto the hard floor and yelping in pain. "And no getting physical." Justin muttered.

"I don't cheat on everything and I haven't fallen in love yet. I'm fifteen, dummy." Alex said, sticking her tongue out at him. Justin got up and sat back down on his seat.

"You probably will." Justin said, but this time seriously. Alex gave him a look, not really understanding. She then ignored him, thinking that she could care less.

--

The next day at school, every girl was clutching onto their cell phones excitedly, treating it like God. Alex walked in and gave every girl a strange look. She walked up to her locker, hearing excited squeals and seen at least a dozen girls screaming about how eager they were. By four seconds, she quickly grew annoyed by the girly yells from every passing girl.

"What is going on here?" Alex muttered as the girls stayed glued to their cell phone screens. Then her best friend, Harper, walked up to her, dressed in something similar to candy. "Before I ask about whatever you're wearing, what's going on with this place? Why is everyone treating their cell phone like it's holy Jesus or something?" Alex asked her.

"Didn't you hear? They're holding a radio contest where you could fly all the way to Hollywood, California to meet the hottest band ever!" Harper said. Alex looked at her hands to see that she was clutching onto her cell phone carefully as well. Alex rolled her eyes and closed her locker then the two best friends began to walk.

"And who may this hot band be?" Alex asked, boredom oozing in her voice.

"CONNECT THREE!" a random girl squealed, jumping up and down. It wasn't long until a group of girls joined that one girl and began to talk nonstop about the band, screaming about how they yearned to marry them. "Oh, my God, I could be flying to California to meet them in three more minutes!"

"Who said it was going to be you?! What if it's me?!" another one yelled. Then three-fourths of the female students at school started to argue about who was going to win the chance to meet Connect Three or not.

"Honestly, it's just three typical guys playing guitars and singing. Why is everyone so worked up about this?" Alex asked Harper as they entered their homeroom. "It's not like they're musical gods, unless that's what everyone thinks they are." she rolled her eyes as another group of girls were huddling around an iPod, listening to the latest hits of Connect Three. "Apparently, they all think they are." Alex said, shaking her head disappointingly.

"Alex, just because you're practically the only girl in school who doesn't like Connect Three, doesn't mean that you have to rip on them." Harper said, her eyes never leaving her cell phone. "Oh, my gosh, it's almost time to call them!" she squealed as another minute ticked by. Alex rolled her eyes again..

"Harper, you do understand that thousands of girls will be calling the radio station at the same time. The chances that you'll be the one to win is like one to a million and-"

"Shhh!" Harper hissed, pointing her index finger in front of Alex's face. Alex closed her eyes and shook her head again. She turned and faced forward at her seat, resting her elbows on her desk and laying her head on the palm of her hands. "Just a couple more seconds…" Harper whispered.

Alex looked at her cell phone. She raised an eyebrow and smiled. She murmured a spell right as the ticker came across the big number twelve on the clock. In an instant, the school was filled with beeping cell phones and girls telling each other to shut up so they could listen to the other line of the call. Alex smiled once she saw the look on Harper's face.

"Hello lucky caller number twenty-three!" the radio DJ said to Harper. Harper squealed, jumping up from her seat and standing on top of her desk. Everyone grew silent as they stared at her.. Girls frowned, shutting their cell phones off, knowing that they've lost. "Guess what you won?! A trip to the one and only Hollywood, California to see-"

"Connect Three!" Harper finished for the DJ. "Alex, I won! I won to see them! Oh, my gosh, I actually won! Oh, my gosh." Harper looked like she was about to faint. Alex widened her eyes as her best friend started to fall from her desk. She quickly ran up to her and helped her down. The rest of homeroom, Alex and Harper talked to the DJ as he explained what they've won.

A trip to see Connect Three. In California. For five days. You get to bring one friend.

--

By lunch time, every girl of every age were crowding over Harper, pretending to be her best friend, and act really sweet to her so that she would take them to meet Connect Three. "Guys, sorry, but I've made my choice. I'm bringing Alex." Harper said for the umpteenth time to another girl. "Right, Alex?" Harper beamed at her. Though Alex was too busy playing games on her iTouch. "Alex?" Harper said, snapping her fingers in front of her.

"Huh? What?" Alex replied, looking lost.

"You're coming with me to California. Remember?" Harper said, sounding as if she was talking to a five year old. Alex nodded, returning her attention back to her iTouch. Harper brushed her off and looked back at the large group of girls. "Sorry, but like I said, I'm taking Alex and my decision is final." The girls stomped away, aggravated and frustrated.

"Harper, who are we going to see again? Something with the number three in it, right?" Alex said, sounding as if she didn't care at all. Harper rolled her eyes and sighed.

"It's _Connect Three_. You know, the famous and extremely hottest brothers of all time. Jason Gray, Shane Gray, and Nate Gray. Haven't you at least heard of them?" Harper said, sort of getting annoyed by Alex's lack of pop music. Alex shrugged.

"Maybe. But what I don't get is why every girl is so in love with them. They're just three normal guys." Harper raised her eyebrow at Alex, getting even more annoyed by her lack of knowledge towards her favorite band. Alex _is_ her best friend after all.

"Uh, they're not normal. They're _gods_." Harper said dreamily. Alex rolled her eyes once more and put her iTouch away. "But, Alex, if you're going to come with me to meet them, please don't rip on them or act rude in front of them. I mean, I know that you don't like them, but pretend that you're a fan. Please?"

"Ugh, fine." Alex said, defeated. Then the rest of lunch period ended up with Harper talking nonstop about Connect Three and Alex pretending as if she was listening while she ate her lunch and texted on her cell phone.

--

Alex arrived at home, her eyes still glued onto her iTouch and her cell phone beeping repeatedly. She threw her backpack at Max, signaling him to put it in his room, and then walked over to the couch to continue playing the addicting game on her iTouch. "Hey, Alex, how's school?" Theresa asked, walking towards her daughter.

"Eh, boring." Alex replied. Then she remembered that she got Harper to win the once in a lifetime chance to meet Connect Three by using magic. Though, she would never tell her family that. "But Harper is inviting me to California this weekend to meet some band. Circling Five or something." Alex added.

"Oh, California! That's so exciting! Wait, honey, do you mean Connect Three?" Theresa said. Alex sighed.

"God, does everyone know who they are except for me? Even my mom knows their name!" Alex said, not believing herself. Theresa laughed and sat next to her daughter. "But so could I go? It'll be like a huge sin to miss of an offer to go to California! And it's only for five days." Alex begged.

"Well, I overheard your father talking to Justin about how he's going to start training you three this weekend for the Wizard Competition. Don't you think that that's more important than going to California to meet a band that you don't even like? Plus, you'll be missing school for three days." Alex groaned, hating her mother's parenting skills.

"Mom, I could beat Max easily and I could trick Justin into losing. I already don't pay attention at school so it's pretty much the same thing as being absent. Could I just have this one, simple five day weekend off to go to California? I heard that they have cute stores in Beverly Hills!"

"Talk to your father, sweetie." Theresa said, patting Alex's knee. Alex frowned and leaned back onto the couch. She needed to prepare herself for the biggest 'daddy's little girl act' she'll ever have to pull off if she wants to go to California. She knows that it'll be almost impossible to get her dad to let her go. If there was one thing Theresa and her kids knew about Jerry, he was stubborn and doesn't give in easily. _Huh, so that's where I get it from…_Alex thought.

Suddenly an idea popped into her head. It was a corny idea, but it may help her get on a plane to good ol' California. There was only one way to find out…

**Review please!! Tell me and Bridget what you thought. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Alex stepped off the metal staircase into her family's sandwich shop. She looked over her outfit one last time. Her dark-brown, wavy long hair was pulled into two loose pigtails that hung over her shoulders. She wore a navy t-shirt with the words 'Daddy's Little Girl' printed across the front in yellow letters. White bermuda shorts, a yellow headband, and her navy Converse completed the 'innocent' outfit. Alex looked to her right and saw her dad in the backroom doing dishes. _Perfect._

"Hey daddy!" Alex chirped as she stepped through the doorway.

"Hi Alex." Jerry mumbled, not looking up from the plastic forks he was washing. Hey, if it saved him money and they were clean, he thought it was a good idea. Alex noticed his disinterest in the conversation, so she knew she had to work harder.

"Here daddy, let me help you with that." She said, stepping forward and grabbing a handful of forks to wash. He looked down at her and she simply flashed a 'cute' smile at him.

"Thanks Alex. What did you do to get in trouble?" He asked suddenly. She pretended to gasp and look shocked.

"I did not do anything wrong! Today was a wonderful day, and you know why it was wonderful?" She asked cleverly. Mr. Russo sighed, knowing Alex would tell him anyway. It was something the whole family knew. Alex continued without waiting for an answer.

"So Harper won this contest from this really popular radio station, T0day's Radi0. And, she gets to bring one friend." She paused, waiting for her father to say something. When he didn't, she continued. "She just happened to pick me, and it just happens to be a trip to…wait for it…CALIRFORNIA!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. Forgetting the fact that they were wet, she ended up splashing Jerry with water right in the face. "Oh sorry. Here." She handed him a towel.

After wiping his face with the towel, he looked at her outfit. Suddenly he smiled. "You are my little girl." He said still smiling. Alex smiled back, knowing her plan was working.

"And the best part is, if you give me money, I'll be so busy shopping I won't run into any cute boys." She said like she was excited about not meeting boys. Pfft, was that a lie. "You're always saying it's good to take new learning experiences when you have the opportunity." Alex pointed out. Jerry nodded his head, still thinking about this.

"So this radio station just gave away plane tickets to California? Without any explanations?" He asked skeptically.

"Well, we get plane tickets, 4 nights in a hotel, and we get to meet some band called like, Separating 6 or something." Alex mumbled, completely forgetting the name of Harper's favorite band yet again.

"Well, it does sound interesting." Jerry admitted. "When is the trip?" This is where Alex began to bite her lip.

"Well, the thing is, we leave on Saturday." She answered quietly. Mr. Russo sighed.

"Alex. You know you can't miss Wizard Training, especially now. Do you think the whole Wizard World is just going to stop revolving just because you want to go on some trip?" He said sternly.

"But dad-" Alex began but was cut off.

"I know you really want to go, but this is a big deal! To me and your brothers. Alex, if I didn't think you had a chance at winning this contest, I would let you go." This made Alex shocked.

"Y-you really think I have a chance of winning?" She asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes, I do. Justin is smart and a good student, and you may not pay attention, but when you want something done, you get it done." He looked into his daughter's eyes. She smiled weakly.

"Thanks dad, that means a lot. But are you sure you can't like, find a wizard in L.A. and have them temporarily train me?" She asked pleadingly. "I could probably sneak off a couple of times without Harper noticing." She added. Jerry sighed.

"I'll see what I can do." Alex perked right up and smiled.

"Oh thank you daddy!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around her father. He put his arms around her, smiling.

Harper and Alex stood in the airport early Saturday morning. Their families were in front of them, preparing to say goodbye for 5 days. Theresa was trying not to cry, Jerry was rubbing her back, Justin was excited Alex was leaving, and Max was buying candy. Like he needed any. Mr. and Mrs. Finkle stood together, asking Harper if she was sure she can do this alone and offering to still come with her.

"_Attention, flight number 1493 to Los Angeles, California is now boarding for first class." _A voice said over the speakers. Some people got up and started walking to board the plane.. Alex and Harper each ran into their parents arms.

"I'll miss you sweetie. It's going to be hard being the only girl." Theresa said through her tears. Alex smiled.

"Don't worry mom. I'll be back soon enough."

"_Attention, flight number 1493 to Los Angeles, California is now boarding for coach class." _The two girls took a step back. Harper ran over to Justin and squeezed him in hug, then stepped back and they walked away after waving goodbye. Once they got on the plane with their carry-ons, they found their seats. Harper got the window seat and Alex took the seat in the middle.

"Sir I'm sorry but please just move into the coach section, please." A flight attendant was arguing with a man in first class.

"Why should I have to move?! It's not my fault the guy bought the tickets late and they didn't have any first class ones left!" He yelled. Alex rolled her eyes. She hated rude annoying people that acted up in public.

"Once again, I'm sorry sir but that is not our fault. Please move into your proper seat." She said, somehow still smiling. He threw his hands up in the air and followed her through the curtain. "You can sit next to that young lady over there." She pointed behind Alex, but when Alex turned around 3 old people were sitting behind her. Alex's head whipped around and she realized the annoying guy was going to sit next to her.

"Harper, that guy has to sit next to me!" She whisper-screamed.

"Oh, yikes." Harper said. She felt bad for her best friend, especially since it was in the category of people Alex hated. The man plopped down into the seat next to Alex and sighed tremendously loud. In return Alex snickered, giving the guy the hint she was unhappy about this seating arrangement. His head turned to glare at her, but he was wearing sunglasses so she didn't catch the glare. She was expecting a rude remark, but instead he asked,

"Are you two Connect 3 fans?" He asked, and Alex noticed he didn't seem that much older than Harper and herself.

"I am, she's not so crazy about them." Harper explained. The teen nodded his head. Then he smiled.

"Which one's your favorite?" He asked. Alex was getting a little creeped out, but Harper gladly answered his question.

"Jason, the oldest one! He's so dreamy!" The teen scoffed then pulled off his sunglasses.

"What about me! I'm not dreamy?" He asked. Harper's mouth fell open and Alex was at this point ready to kick the creep's ass.

Y-you're…you're…" Harper said, starting to hyperventilate. He laughed.

"Hi, I'm Shane Gray."

Somewhere in California

"_Look, Nate, I think we need to talk."_ A southern voice said over the phone. Nate sighed, knowing what was about to happen.

"Yeah, so do I Hannah." He and his girlfriend, Hannah Montana, had been dating now for 8 months. She's been on tour for about 2 weeks and their relationship was going nowhere but downhill.

"_Nate, you know I really like you. Heck, I might even love you. But this isn't going to work for the next three months."_

"I know. I really like you too. I understand what you're trying to say." Nate put his head on his hand.

"_Let's just, take a break, okay? See other people, and when I get back from tour maybe we can try again." _

"Yeah, I guess that works."

"_I'm sorry Nate. But this is for the best."_

"You're probably right. Bye Hannah, I love you." It was the first time he had said it to her, and it was already the last time. He heard a sigh.

"_Bye Nate. I…I love you too." _And the line went dead. Nate ran his head through his hair, letting slow tears roll down his cheeks. He looked at his phone still on his hand, and wished that phone call never happened.

Now he had to worry about Shane, who got so mad he decided to run away. Supposedly he was on his way home, but nobody ever knows about Shane.

On the Plane

Harper's jaw dropped lower than Alex thought was humanly possible. "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" She repeated. Shane smirked then waved his hand signaling the flight attendant he needed her assistance. She walked over and bent down to hear his request. Alex couldn't quite catch what he said but before she could try the attendant was already walking away. He turned to her and when he saw her puzzled look he simply answered, "Water. For your uhm…friend."

Alex nodded her head, shocked he actually did something nice when he was just being a brat. Seconds later Shane was handed a water bottle and he handed it to Harper. "Eeep! SHANE GRAY just gave me a water bottle!" She unscrewed the cap and took a sip. "This is the best day ever!" Shane laughed and Alex let out a small chuckle.

"So…Shane. Where are your band mates?" Alex asked, trying to sound like a fan like Harper had begged her to. He shrugged.

"At home I guess." This answer confused even Harper.

"Then why aren't you with them?" She asked very confused. Connect 3 was always seen together, it was never Connect 3 minus 1 or 2. Shane sighed.

"Well you see our manager-not our dad, our other one-decided to let a radio station have a contest. The winner got to meet us in California and hang out with us for a few days." Alex and Harper looked at each other. "I mean, I love the fans and everything but we are trying to work on our new album and having distractions like this without us even knowing gets us off track. I was really ticked off so I grabbed a plane to New York to get away from the idiot I have to even call my manager." He took a breath. "But the guy from the label found me here and got me the first plane back to Hollywood." The girls stared at him.

"S-so you don't want to meet the winners?" Harper asked.

"Not right now." Shane answered honestly.

"Too late." Alex mumbled under her breath. Shane didn't hear her but he looked at her face, as if he was trying to figure out who she was. "What? Do I have something on my face?" She said, rubbing her face with her hand. He laughed.

"No," He took her hand off her face. "You just seem…I feel like I've met you before." He said, looking into her eyes. If Alex didn't have enough experience, she would have melted right there.

"Thanks, but that's not going to work on me. Trust me." She snapped at him, and he was taken aback. "Excuse me, I have to use the flying bathroom." Shane got up and she walked past him. He watched her walk away, smiling to himself. _I wish those fans would be more like her…_He thought before taking his seat. Little did he know, his wish had come true.


	3. Chapter 3

After a couple of hours, the plane finally landed. Alex wanted to run and get out of the plane as fast as she could, but sadly enough, she had to wait for first class to exit before she could make her move. Her first flight to California was dreadful. Babies were crying, people kept on bumping into her, and Harper wouldn't stop talking to Shane, confessing her love to his band.

Alex liked Shane, no doubt about it. At first, she thought of him as that guy from that band who blew up on people. But now she actually knew that guy – and she actually knew what that band was called. As the time passed by, she found Shane as a really cool guy. (Minus his annoying, flirty and conceited attitude.) "So really, what brings you guys here to California?" Shane asked the two girls, but really paying attention to Alex.

"Oh, well, I don't know if we should tell you. You'll probably hate us and want us to go back to New York." Harper said nervously. Alex rolled her eyes at her best friend's choice of words. Shane on the other hand, laughed.

"No I won't. How can I hate two beautiful ladies?" He said, handing Harper and Alex their belongings before getting his own. Harper giggled while Alex tried not to roll her eyes again or smile.

"Well actually, we're the winners of the radio contest. You know the winners you said that you didn't want to meet." Alex said pointedly.

"Oh," Shane said. Alex nodded before taking the rest of her stuff and leading the way out of the airplane. "Alex, wait!" Shane called out. Alex smirked and stopped, turning slightly towards Shane and wiping her smile off of her face, giving him a fake annoyed look. "I'm glad that you're the winner of the contest and that you're gonna hang out with me for the next couple days." Alex raised an eyebrow while Harper cleared her throat. "I mean, I'm happy that you're _both_ winners and that you're gonna hang out with _us_." Shane said. Alex laughed and shook her head.

"Come on, Harper." She said, taking her best friend's arm and dragging her out of the plane. The two froze as they officially entered the airport. They felt the instant heat of the southern California weather and smelled the fresh scent of the city. "Wow, it's hot." Alex said, fanning herself with her hand.

"Yeah, you are." Shane said, winking at Alex before putting his shades on. Alex gave Shane a look before taking Harper's hand and dragging her towards the baggage claim.

"I think Shane Gray likes you." Harper whispered loudly towards Alex.

"No, I think that he just flirts with every girl he sees." Alex said, aggravated. She looked behind her shoulder to find Shane barely trailing behind them. She smiled a little. "But I wouldn't mind having a pop star boyfriend. Especially if he's cute." Harper giggled and they grabbed their luggage.

--

Nate sighed, depressed, as he and Jason were on their way to the airport. As much as he wanted to be happy and put a smiling face on for the two lucky winners, he just couldn't. He missed his girlfriend – ex-girlfriend – so much; he didn't think that he could be able to smile for a while.

Nate suddenly heard his cell phone ringing. He rolled his eyes to see Shane's name pop up on his caller ID. He reluctantly answered it. Shane beat him to the hello before Nate could even open his mouth.

"_Dude, I met this amazing girl! And the best part is that she and her friend are the winners of that stupid radio contest that our manager forced us to do! Nate, you have got to meet this girl. She's really not like any other girl out there."_ Shane said into the phone.

"What do you mean that you met the winner already? Oh and where the hell are you?! I can't believe you just took a freaking plane to New York like that, Shane! Would it kill you to be more responsible next time?!" Nate said.

"_Relax, _dad_, God, you act like a forty-year-old loser who wears pants that are way too tight. I'm at the airport so chill. I'll meet you guys here. But, I'm guessing someone got dumped by his girlfriend."_ Shane scoffed.

"Ugh, I don't want to talk about it, Shane. Just stay where you are and don't cause any more trouble than you already did." Nate said, snapping his phone shut angrily. He sighed in frustration and leaned back against the seat. Jason looked at him and gave him a cheery smile.

"Hey, don't be sad, Nate. Maybe we'll have fun with these two girls. Maybe you'll find another girl that will love you no matter where she is, who she is, or what she's doing." Jason said, giving his youngest brother a comforting look. Nate sighed.

"Yeah, I'll do anything to have a girl like that." He mumbled, turning towards the other side to stare at the window. Jason patted Nate's arm. The car stopped in front of the airport shortly. Nate sighed. "Let's get this over with." He muttered, putting his sunglasses on and stepping out of the car.

"So, Alex, you're going to love hanging out with me – I mean us. You – and Harper – are going to have the time of your life!" Shane said. Alex smiled and nodded at him before giving Harper a 'help' look.

"So Shane, I get to meet Jason right?!" Harper said, completely cutting Shane off before he could talk. Shane laughed and nodded at Harper. He's never met a girl who couldn't stop talking about Jason and not himself instead. "Oh, my God, Jason is so cute and so adorable! I love him!" Harper squealed, her inner fan girl coming out.

"Oh, gosh." Alex said, shaking her head.

"Jason is so amazing and funny." Harper sighed, drifting off to her dreamland.

"Aw, that's so sweet." A voice said. The three turned around to meet the two other members of Connect 3. Harper squealed and ran up to Jason, throwing her arms around him, confessing her so-called 'undying passionate love' to him. Jason laughed. "Hi, nice to meet you too." He said, patting her back, amused.

"I'm sorry; it's just that she's in love with you." Alex said, prying Harper off of the poor man. Jason laughed again.

"It's alright. Anyways, your names?"

"Harper Finkle!" Harper yelled, ready to hug Jason again, but Alex strained her. "Oh, and this is Alex." Harper said, finally calming down. Alex smiled at them, but she couldn't help herself at staring Nate. She grinned timidly while he nodded his head at her before looking away. Alex bit her lip, feeling like she did something wrong.

"Harper, what's his name?" Alex whispered, pointing inconspicuously at Nate.

"Oh, that's Nate." Harper whispered back before she continued to gush out her feelings towards Jason. Alex smiled at Nate, liking how quiet and mysterious he was. She snapped out of her thoughts, feeling as if that inner fan girl feeling hidden deep beneath her was starting to reach up. She _definitely_ did not want that.

Shane noticed Alex staring at his little brother. He looked at her in confusion, wondering why she's not looking at him like that, why she's focusing on Nate instead of him. "So, girls, what do you want to do today? For the next five days we will do whatever you want to do." Shane said, smiling at Harper and Alex. Alex snapped out of her trance and looked at Shane.

"Oh, well I want to go to sleep, kick back, and relax. I have jetlag." Alex said, yawning. "It's night time at New York."

"But we could go out to dinner. Have you ever had dinner in front of the Pacific Ocean?" Shane pressed, desperately wanting to spend time with Alex. Alex shook her head and rubbed her eyes.

"Sorry, but I'll pass."

"But-"

"Dude, if she's tired, then let her sleep. God, I've never seen you this desperate for a girl in ages." Nate spoke up, annoyed by Shane. Alex smiled at Nate while Shane glared at him. Jason and Harper chuckled silently at the sight. Nate ignored the stares and turned to Alex. "We could take you to our house if you want to get some rest. The guest room is all ready and set up for you and Harper." He told her, grabbing her bags for her and putting it in the car.

Alex blushed at the act of kindness. She felt giddy and fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. For some reason, she couldn't stop moving or stop looking at Nate. She completely blamed that inner fan girl feeling. "I could take your bags for you." Shane said, grabbing the rest of Alex's bags as he noticed her stare at Nate again. He quickly followed Nate to the car and placed them in there. Alex snapped out of her thoughts again and gave Shane a small smile.

"Thanks, guys." She said. Nate grabbed Harper's luggage and placed them gently in the trunk before closing it.

"Okay, let's go home." Nate said, his voice bored. He opened the car door and sat in the seat. Alex practically ran behind him, desperately wanting to sit next to him. Harper scooted next to Alex without taking her love struck gaze away from Jason. Shane indignantly opened the other door and took the seat in front of the three with Jason trailing behind him.

Harper stares at Jason dreamily, Jason stares at Shane, confused, Shane stares at Alex yearningly, Alex stares at Nate longingly, and Nate stares out of the window, wishing that he could be with someone else.

It was a long and silent car ride.

--

"Wow, your house is amazing!" Alex said, looking around in amazement. She walked backwards in a circle in the living room, staring at the colored glass roof.

"Thanks." "I know, right?" Nate and Shane said simultaneously. Alex smiled at Nate.

"Aw, you're so modest, Nate." She said. Nate gave her a small smile before looking back down. Shane shot another glare at his little brother before smiling back at Alex. He offered her his arm and she awkwardly took it.

"I'll show you your guest room." He said, picking up her bags and leading her to the guest room.

"Uh, okay?" Alex said. She looked behind her shoulder to see Nate, his eyes still fixed to the ground, his expression still lonely. "What's wrong with Nate? He looks really sad." Alex said, her voice turning into a whisper. Shane sighed and glanced at his brother again.

"He and his girlfriend just broke up. He's really down right now, and he definitely isn't over Hannah. They were each other's first loves." Shane said. Alex frowned at the word love. "Anyways, this is your room!" He waved his arm in front of him as if they were staying at a 5-Star hotel.

It was a simple bedroom, no doubt a guest room, yet it still had a cozy and welcoming feeling. The walls were off-white, as was the ceiling. On the far wall opposite them was a large wardrobe, which Alex could probably fit in. Jutting into the middle of the room was a queen-sized bed, with a black iron head board and light blue sheets. Across from the bed was a small dresser and attached mirror.

"Wow." Was all Alex could say as she stepped into the quiet room. "It's so…" She struggled for an adjective. "Pretty." She mentally slapped her self. _Pretty?_ She thought. Shane chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. This is one of my mom's favorite rooms. Besides hers and my dad's." He smiled, looking at the walls. Alex's eyes fell on something.

"No way!" She cried, excitement filling her blood. She ran towards the wardrobe and next to it pulled back floor-length curtains. Behind them it revealed a sliding glass door. "I get a balcony?!" She exclaimed.

"Yup. You can go outside if you want." Shane helped her open the door and they stepped outside. A huge in-ground pool took up half the backyard. "If you want, we could go swimming sometime." Shane suggested.

"Possibly." Alex mumbled. At the other end of the balcony she saw another door. "Hey, whose room is that?" She asked pointing towards it.

"Oh, that's Nate's room. He hardly ever comes out here though. I keep telling him if he doesn't use it then I should have his room." He scoffed. Alex smiled to herself. The idea that Nate's room was right next to hers made her feel happy inside. _Ugh, Harper's Obsessive Connect 3 Disorder is rubbing off on me. _Alex thought shamefully. Suddenly a high pitched screech was heard.

"Harper." Alex said simply. Shane laughed.

"Should we go see what's up?" He asked. Alex shrugged.

"Sure, why not?" They stepped back into Alex's temporary room and into the hallway. Alex stopped and glanced at Nate's door.

"The other guest room is down here." Shane said, getting Alex to follow him. They walked down the rest of the long hallway and found Nate and Jason trying to calm Harper down.

"Oh gosh, Harper, what did you break?" Alex asked. Jason began laughing and she even saw Nate crack a little smile.

"Nothing. But Alex guess what?! My guest room is right next to Jason's bedroom! Isn't that so cool?" Harper said excitedly.

"Definitely." Alex smiled and turned to Nate. "And mine is next to Nate's I think, right Nate?" Looking up through his curls, Nate for the first time actually _looked _at Alex. Before he was just glancing at her and giving her small smiles, but this time Alex and Nate's eyes locked. It felt as if there weren't three other people standing around them, and a little jolt ran through Nate's body that made him think Hannah Montana was the most stupid name in the world. Catching on that two certain fifteen-year olds weren't breaking eye contact anytime soon, Shane coughed a little loudly, making both Nate and Alex unfortunately glance towards him. Or, more like glare.

"So, what do you guys want to do first? We can be like Alex and sleep," He gave her a playful smile that she didn't catch, because she was timidly stealing looks at Nate, "or we can watch a movie, or eat some food…" Shane continued, trying to make conversation.

"Oh! Is it true that you guys have like, a recording room right here in your house?!" Harper blurted out. All three brothers smiled.

"Yeah, actually, we do!" Jason said enthusiastically.

"You want to see it?" Shane asked. Harper nodded like a mad woman and they led her to it. Nate followed them and Alex matched her pace with his.

"We haven't really officially met, have we?" She asked. Nate looked up into her shimmering brown eyes. He couldn't help but smile.

"Not exactly, but I think we know each others' names." He said with one eye brow raised. Alex giggled-wait, _giggled_?! Okay, something was definitely up. She knew she rarely ever acted like this in front of boys.

"Uh, uhm, y-yeah. I'm Alex." She smiled, feeling embarrassed, but Nate found it very cute how she was stumbling on her words.

"And I'm Nate. Nice to…meet you." They laughed and he stuck his hand out. Alex looked down at it for a second and trying to stay calm, fit her hand in his own. Both felt a shock run through their bodies, like nothing they ever felt before. Realizing they had been shaking hands for longer than a minute, they pulled away, blushing and embarrassed.

"Alex, Nate?" They heard Shane call from downstairs. His head popped out and his body followed. "There you guys are, c'mon!" He called up to them.

"After you." Nate said, gesturing for Alex to walk in front of him.

"Thanks." As she walked down the steps, Alex couldn't help but think how much of a gentlemen Nate was.

The three of them walked into the small recording studio, to see Jason showing Harper the instruments. "I found them!" Shane announced, while placing an arm around Alex's shoulder. He lowered his mouth to her ear. "What were you two doing?" He whispered.

"Oh you know, just talking, getting to know each other." She quietly said back.

"Do you girls want to hear us play some of a song we're working on?" Nate asked, almost shocking everyone that he spoke up. Alex smiled and so did Harper.

"Sure!" They said simultaneously. They then looked at each other and started laughing. As the boys entered the studio, Harper nudged Alex.

"Hey Alex, do you…ya know, like Nate?" She asked. This caught Alex by surprise. She hadn't really thought about it, but she didn't want Nate to think she was like all the other crazed fan girls that just liked his looks.

"What? Psh, not me. That's crazy." She replied, acting cool. Harper bought it, but Alex knew the truth. She was secretly falling for Nate.

**Wow that was long. Haha. **


	4. Chapter 4

Each word Nate sang, his angelic voice hitting notes most teenage boys normally shouldn't hit, hypnotized Alex tremendously. She loved the way his face would scrunch up, and how his eyes would close and he would get lost in the music. Her eyes never left him, completely missing the fact that Shane was trying to impress her. When they finally ended the song with a short guitar solo from Jason, Alex and Harper were left amazed. Alex didn't talk; she just smiled and looked dreamily at Nate. Harper on the other hand jumped up and down excitedly, saying how awesome and perfect the song was. The boys filed out the door, each grinning their perfect teeth, (minus Nate, who used a close-lipped smile), happy the girls loved the song.

"-and your voices were so smooth, the way they blended together..." Harper continued to ramble.  
"If I may interrupt for…just a second." Jason said politely. Harper nodded and closed her mouth. Jason continued. "We're glad you ladies like it. You're actually the first people to hear that song." Alex and Harper shared a look.  
"Seriously?" Alex asked, shocked. From what she read, the articles in her magazines that were unfortunately Gray-related, they always consulted their parents with songs.. Shane nodded.  
"Yeah. It's actually, well, an experience Jason here went through…." He drifted off. Jason bowed his head down, embarrassed Shane brought up the topic.  
"Really? Wha-" Harper began but Alex cut her off by placing a hand on her shoulder. Harper got the hint. She didn't want to press for more information if Jason was uncomfortable with the topic.  
"So…" Alex began, breaking the awkward silence. "Who's up for a movie?!" She said enthusiastically. Everyone's mood brightened up.  
"We've got a lot of DVDs to choose from." Nate warned.  
"Well then, we've got a lot of searching to do." Harper compromised. The five of them quickly scampered out of the room, and the girls followed the brothers to their media room.  
xXx  
By the time it was 9:30 PM, the group was on their second movie, and Alex and Shane were asleep. The big room consisted of a 60 inch plasma screen TV, sweet stereo system, DVD and CD collection, and two decent-sized leather couches. And, of course, a chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. Alex sat between Harper and Nate, and Shane and Jason were on the other couch.  
Nate glanced down at the sleeping Alex on his shoulder, and smiled to himself. He remembered the many times Hannah had done this to him…and suddenly the smile was gone. Nate ran his hand through his hair, upset at himself rather than Hannah. He needed to stop reminiscing in his mind, to let go of the past. If only it were that easy.  
Suddenly Alex stirred, and she twisted her body to the point where her head was now up against the couch, and her body curled into a ball. Nate was slightly depressed that she had moved away from him, but at the same time relieved. Probably an hour passed by while he was stuck in that position. Right after the first movie…  
_The end credits for _Pirates of the Caribbean _were rolling while Shane picked out another movie to watch. Nate gave Alex directions to find the bathroom, and a few minutes later she returned. The beginning of the new movie was slightly boring, more boring than most, and Alex was getting sleepy. Without realizing it, she began to nod off, and her head rested on Nate's shoulder. She shot up, completely embarrassed.._  
_"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry!" She whispered. Nate chuckled. _  
_"It's okay, you can put your head back if you want." He offered. Alex smiled and returned to her former position. _  
_Before she dosed off once more, she whispered, "Your shoulder is really comfy." Making Nate smile. _  
Jason lowered the volume with the remote and said slightly above a whisper, "Who else agrees this movie is beyond boring?" Harper and Nate raised their hands, gladly taking their gaze off the TV. Jason got up off the couch, making sure not to wake Shane, and sat on the floor a few feet in between the couches. Harper and Nate followed Jason's lead, and they formed a triangle on the ground. By now Harper had gotten used to being around her favorite band, and realized they were indeed just like regular guys. Those magazines weren't lying.  
"Lucky ducks." Harper said quietly, glancing from Alex to Shane. Jason smiled, nodding in agreement. Nate yawned and they both glared at him. He smiled uneasily.  
"How come you're not out cold? I figured the jetlag would make you exhausted by now." Jason questioned. Harper shrugged.  
"I guess 'cause my parents take me on so many trips, I'm used to it." There was a silence, each collecting their thoughts and wondering what to talk about. Not surprising anyone, Jason was the first to speak up.  
"So who thinks Shane should get a tattoo across his forehead saying 'I like Alex'?" He said smugly. Nate scoffed and Harper let out a short laugh.  
"He would need to get it removed by next week when he meets someone new." Nate replied. Don't get him wrong; Nate loved his brother. It was just a simple fact that Shane was known to chase after _a lot_ of girls.  
"I think the real question is if Alex can make it any more obvious she likes Natey over here." Harper joked. Nate's cheeks flushed a shade of pink, though it wasn't visible due to the only light coming from the TV.  
"Man, Harper's right. She was all over you, Nate." Jason said, grinning at his younger brother. Did he say pink? He meant his cheeks were now _red._  
"Wh-what? Seriously?" Nate stuttered.  
"Uh, yeah." Harper stated, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. It actually sort of was.  
"And it seems like you are crushing back, my friend." Jason said. Nate felt his heart beat quicken and thought he was in a sauna from the sudden heat on his face. "You should ask her out, man!" Jason patted his brother on the shoulder. Harper nodded encouragingly.  
"Alex hasn't had a boyfriend since Riley, and it turned out he was a total jerk!" She added. Nate thought for a moment.  
"Well, what about Shane? He likes her too, and that breaks the guy code." Nate argued. Jason scoffed.  
"He'll get over it. And besides, you said so yourself, he's going to end up liking another girl by next week."  
"Well, y-yeah, but…oh fine. I'll ask her out." Nate said quietly.  
"Yay!" Harper squealed, then quickly clamped a hand over her mouth. Alex stirred, but remained sleeping. The three turned their heads to look over at Shane, who was slowly waking up.  
"Quick, pretend you're asleep!" Nate whispered. They all squirmed around to lying-down positions, shutting their eyes and Jason faked a snore.  
"Uhm, guys?" Shane spoke up. They peeked their eyes open a smidge. "Seriously, I know you're awake." All three sighed and sat up. Shane stopped the movie. "Well, I guess it's time to hit the hay."  
"Should we wake her up?" Nate said, pointing at Alex. Harper shook her head furiously.  
"Unless you want all your hair cut off, I would recommend not bothering her when she's sleeping." She warned.  
"Well, night guys." Shane said and exited the room. Everyone was left puzzled. What was up with Shane?  
"Uhm…anyways, how about you carry her up Nate?" Jason suggested. Nate stared at Jason.  
"Dude, are you serious?" He asked.  
"Oh c'mon. Look how skinny she is. All you have to do is bring her upstairs and put her on her bed. We've slept in jeans before, it wasn't that uncomfortable." Nate sighed.  
"Fine.. Night guys." He gave Jason a high-five and Harper a quick hug. They disappeared upstairs, leaving Nate with Alex. He sighed once more, then bent down and picked her up bridal style. _Wow, she _is_ light. _He thought. Or maybe it was all the muscle he'd built from playing guitar. Either way, it wasn't that hard to carry her up the stairs. Once Nate reached Alex's room, he gently laid her down on the bed. His hand found its way to her face, brushing a strand of hair back to reveal more of her beauty. With the moonlight shining in from the sliding glass door, it illuminated the room and made Alex's face the most gorgeous thing Nate had ever seen.  
"Goodnight Alex.." He whispered. As he got up to leave, he turned around, leaned down, and kissed her cheek. Then he quickly walked out of her room, leaving a smiling, sleeping Alex.  
xXx  
A loud bang, followed by a, "Crap!" woke Alex up. She looked around and realized she was in her guest room, still in her clothes from yesterday. Light was just starting to shine into the room, and Alex frantically checked her pockets for her phone. She groaned once she came up empty. Getting off her bed, she sluggishly moved to open her door. She could hear people talking downstairs. _Ugh I am so tired. Whatever, I'm going back to sleep._ Alex thought before stepping back into her room.  
"Crap!" Shane yelled. He looked at the pot on the floor that had just almost knocked him unconscious. "Talk about a booby trap." He mumbled. Jason walked up next to him and joined Shane in staring at the pot.  
"Well, are you going to pick it?" He asked. "It doesn't bite." He joked. Shane shot him a glare and picked up the black dish and placed it on the counter.  
"Dude, what the heck are you doing?" Nate asked as he walked into the large kitchen.  
"Well, I was _going _tohelp Jason make breakfast, but I don't want to risk any more injuries." Shane answered, taking a seat on a stool. Jason rolled his eyes as he turned on the stove and pulled a pan out of the cabinet. As Jason made breakfast, Nate and Shane sat half-asleep, Nate's head resting on the counter top.  
"Do you guys want to go wake up Harper and Alex?" He suggested as he flipped a pancake. They shrugged and started walking towards the stairs.  
"Hey Nate," Nate turned his head to look at his brother. "I uh, heard what you said last night. About Alex." Nate opened his mouth to answer, but Shane continued to talk. "You're right. I will probably find some other girl in a matter of days, and I bet you like Alex more than I do."  
"Really?" Nate asked cautiously. Shane shook his head yes. "So…you're not mad?"  
"Nope. Now, go get your girl." Shane winked as he headed toward Harper's room, leaving his little brother to go get Alex.  
Nate took a deep breath and walked down the hall that led to Alex's room. He felt tingles shooting up in his insides, making the timidity he's experiencing even worse. Nate bit his lip, cursing himself a bit. He couldn't believe how nervous he's feeling. All he was doing was waking a girl up. It shouldn't be that hard—or nerve-racking.  
Nate slowly twisted the doorknob open and entered the guest room, slowly walking towards the bed. Nate couldn't help but smile as Alex lay there, sleepily heavily yet peacefully. As he was about to gently shake her awake, Nate remembered what Harper said last night about how Alex _hated _when people woke her up. And something about hair loss. Nate patted his signature curls before staring down at Alex, scared, wondering how he should wake her up without…waking her up.  
Nate leaned down next to her ear. "Alex," he whispered. He quickly ducked behind the bed just in case she actually did wake up and she caught a glimpse of him. Nate heard her stir and shift on top of the bed, groaning silently. Alex faced onto her side and cuddled deeper with the pillows that surrounded her.  
Nate sighed and stood up straight. He scratched the back of his neck, wondering how he should do this without putting his precious hair in the danger zone. Nate carefully sat on top of the bed, next to Alex and began to rub her arm softly. "Alex, it's time to wake up." He whispered, though is voice sounded like a fearful squeak.  
Alex groaned again. She turned to the other side and faced Nate. She unexpectedly wrapped her arms around him, thinking that he was one of her pillows. Nate stiffened. He could feel his heart rate increase dramatically as Alex nuzzled her face into his shirt, muttering incoherent things in her sleep. He managed to smile, thinking how unbelievably cute she looked while she slept.  
Suddenly, Nate's stomach began to grumble loudly. He frowned and slapped his forehead once he saw Alex's eyes slowly flutter open. _Why couldn't breakfast be later? _He mentally complained.  
Alex looked up sleepily at Nate. She yawned and continued to nuzzle into Nate's shirt, still thinking that it's a pillow. "Good morning, Nate," she muffled. Nate smirked, trying to hold in the laughter inside of him. It took seven seconds for Alex to realize what she was doing. "Oh my God, I am so sorry!" she squealed embarrassedly, immediately jumping off of the bed.  
Nate laughed and slid down the bed, leaning against the wall. "No problem. Breakfast is ready." He smiled. He winked at Alex whom was blushing madly. Nate headed towards the door. He stopped and turned around. _It's now or never_. He thought. "But before we go down to breakfast, I need to ask you something." Alex looked at him, waiting for his question. "Wanna go out with me?" he asked.  
Alex blinked, not knowing if those words actually came out of Nate's mouth. She almost asked him to repeat himself once that sentence processed into her mind. "Really?" she asked incredulously. "Nate Gray wants to go out with—me?" she asked, but really she was talking to herself, wondering if she was dreaming.  
"I mean, if you don't want to then that's fine—"  
"No, I want to!" Alex blurted out. Nate smiled again, causing Alex to feel mortified one more time.  
"Great then…I guess I'll pick you up later in the afternoon?"  
Alex smiled, feeling confident for the first time today. "Sure," Nate closed the door behind himself, leaving Alex to sigh dreamily and collapse onto her bed. She closed her eyes and smiled, feeling a wave of joyful emotions hit her. Her mornings have never been so pleasant.  
"Are you Alex Russo?" a voice called. Alex instantly stood straight up. She curiously eyed her room before speaking up.  
"Depends. What did Alex Russo do?" she asked into the air, wondering who the heck was contacting her and how. But did it scare her? Psh, no. Alex was used to all of the strange things to be _scared_.  
Suddenly a man appeared in front of her with a wide and smug smirk on his face. "Well today is your lucky day because you are going to get your first wizard training from me, Benjamin Bartley. I was an old colleague of your father's and he asked me to train you while you stayed her in California." Alex rolled her eyes and groaned.  
"Aw, why now? I didn't eat breakfast yet!" she whined. Benjamin rolled his eyes as well.  
"Well too bad because you're going to be busy the whole day." He said, though his voice did not sound sympathetic whatsoever. Alex glared at him, already disliking him. She then widened his eyes once she realized what he said.  
"Wait, the _whole _day?" she asked worriedly. Benjamin nodded, raising an eyebrow at her. "No, I have a date with Nate Gray!"


End file.
